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Wrigley to celebrate 1930s on next homestand

ST. LOUIS -- Wrigley Field will celebrate the 1930s during the next Cubs homestand, and the landmark marquee will return to its original green color with gold trim.

The festivities are part of Wrigley Field's 100th anniversary party.

On Wednesday, the Cubs and Benjamin Moore will begin painting the marquee to match its mid 1930s color scheme. The sign, located at Clark and Addison streets, was installed in 1934.

The Cubs worked with Harboe Architects and Wiss, Janney, Elsnter Associates, Inc. to research the marquee's color scheme from the era, which included removing layers of paint and primer to expose the first layer of enamel. Samples were then color-matched by Benjamin Moore to determine the Mallard Green and French Quarter Gold paints that will be used.

Benjamin Moore will provide limited-edition Cubs/Benjamin Moore T-shirts for up to 1,000 fans who want to view the painting event Wednesday. Guests will be invited to paint a large-scale baseball bat-themed mural on site.

The Cubs play host to the Yankees for two games May 20-21, and on May 20, they will honor retiring shortstop Derek Jeter in pregame ceremonies.

On Sunday, the Cubs will wear throwback uniforms from 1937, the year when Wrigley Field's scoreboard was installed and the ivy was planted on the newly constructed bleacher wall. The '37 jersey features a zip-up front and the uniform marks the first year the team switched from a navy blue to a royal blue color.

The visiting Brewers will wear 1937-inspired retro uniforms as well.

On Friday, the Cubs will give bobblehead's of Babe Ruth's "called shot," which happened against Charlie Root in the 1932 World Series, to the first 10,000 fans.

Ruth's 97-year-old daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, will deliver a ceremonial first pitch and lead the seventh-inning stretch with her son, Tom Stevens, on Friday.

Tickets for both the Brewers and Yankees series are available at www.cubs.com or 800-THE-CUBS (800-843-2827).